1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tourniquets, and more particularly, to a portable pneumatically operated aortic tourniquet device that consists of a waistband and an inflatable air bladder in combination with either a manual pump or a compressed gas injection cartridge for inflating the bladder. The air bladder is of a triangular shape so that a directed compression force is applied to the abdomen specifically to cut-off blood flow to the abdominal descending aorta.
2) Description of Related Art
The prior art is replete with various tourniquet devices that use a wide variety of clamping and/or pneumatic means to apply pressure to various limbs on the body. However, the prior art does not address the problems associated with abdominal aortic compression in the field in a rapid application portable package for restricting blood flow for a non-compressible arterial hemorrhage in the abdominal region. Such a wound requires occlusion of the abdominal descending aorta to cut-off the blood supply to the non-compressible arterial hemorrhage.
One of the major obstacles to providing an effective portable abdominal aortic tourniquet is in providing a focused compression force over a designated area on the abdomen. Typically, most tourniquets apply a constricting force around the circumference of a limb or over a broad area to reduce total blood flow through the limb. Such a broad application of force is ineffective to reduce or occlude blood flow through the descending aorta proximal to the bifurcation in the abdomen due to the deep location of the aorta in the body. A strong focused pressure is required to reach the descending aorta and reduce blood flow. The prior art fails to show or disclose a pneumatic tourniquet having a directed air bladder able to focus the compression force of the tourniquet sufficient to operate as an abdominal aortic tourniquet.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0191881 A1 (Amisar et al.) shows a tourniquet that includes a pressure source and a selector leaver attached to cam to facilitate manual selection of a designated pressure. This tourniquet is designed to apply pressure around a limb. There is no teaching in the patent that this device would be effectively useable as an abdominal aortic tourniquet. Further, the air bladder is not a directed air bladder that would focus the compression force, but is rounded to wrap around the limb and spread the pressure force over a broad area. Such a broad application of constricting force is unusable if intended to reduce or occlude circulation through the descending aorta for a non-compressible arterial hemorrhage in the abdominal region.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,459 (Lee) shows an inflatable balloon for use in a tourniquet. The patent discloses a manual pump for inflating the balloon. There is no disclosure of the balloon having a directed shape for focusing a compression force, or that the tourniquet is in any way designed to work as an abdominal aortic tourniquet. This tourniquet is representative of a vast majority of pneumatic prior art tourniquet devices which completely fail to address the specific problems associated with providing an effective abdominal aortic tourniquet
U.S. Pat. No. 6,884,254 (Brooks) shows a tourniquet system that includes a leverage assisted clamp means for tightening the strap around a limb. This patent is representative of a large section of the prior art that uses mechanical means, as opposed to pneumatic to provide a constricting force around a limb. Again, such devices fail to provide the directed compression force required to restrict blood flow through the descending aorta.
Accordingly, there is a need for a portable abdominal aortic tourniquet that can be rapidly applied under field conditions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide means for applying pressure on the exterior abdomen to reduce or occlude the flow of blood through the descending aorta proximal to the bifurcation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic device with sufficient compressing force to operate effectively as an abdominal aortic tourniquet.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic tourniquet having a directed air bladder to focus a compressing force along a defined narrow section of the abdomen to reduce or occlude the flow of blood through the descending aorta proximal to the bifurcation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an easily portable abdominal aortic pneumatic tourniquet that can be rapidly applied in the field.